Yesterday, my husband and I had his green card interview downtown at 26 Federal Plaza! We have been leading up to the interview for months since we got married. Some people wait a while to apply for green cards, but my husband and I wanted to get moving on the whole process because we knew it would likely be tedious and long.

We had a lawyer organize all of our documentation for us and submit it shortly after our wedding and then we had to wait until they scheduled our interview. All in all, it took 6 months to get to the interview, which I am told is VERY fast compared to how it was right after 9/11.

My husband obtained two important permits while the case was pending – a temporary work permit known as the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and a temporary travel document, advance parole, which allowed him to leave the country and return.

Our documentation for the case included photos of our entire relationship, envelopes addressed to both of us at one address, employment letters, tax reports, joint bank statements, wedding invitation, etc. The interviewer also drilled us with questions about how we met, when we got engaged, what my husband does in the U.S., and a few others that were obviously not hard for us to answer – imagine the scene from The Proposal. In the end, he went ahead and approved my husband and he will be receiving his green card in the mail in a few weeks! Relief!

interview scene from The Proposal

Now, we’ll wait two years to do it all over again for him to maintain his green card. After 3 years, he can apply for citizenship – which provides a passport and the rights of all Americans. I will also apply for Italian citizenship to receive an EU passport – nice!